Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Carillion: Insolvency

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Young of Cookham on 8 February (HL5130), whether they will now set out which private sector contracts with Carillion have been either suspended or curtailed; and whether they will provide details of the value of those contracts.

lord henley: The Government does not hold this information. In his role as liquidator of Carillion, the Official Receiver is an officer of the court and is independent of government.

Company Accounts

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers byLord Henley on 12 February (HL5215 and HL5281), what role they played in commissioning and approving the legal opinion provided by Martin Moore QC, in the light of a Freedom of Information request (BEIS/FOI2016/15803) recording a Department for Business and Industrial Strategy (BIS) official stating that: “I agree; we will need to jointly commission with the FRC an opinion from an eminent QC which could be published" and the Financial Reporting Council later stating to an official that: “We have now developed the Martin Moore opinion to an advanced stage and I thought it would be useful to share it with you to see whether you would like to discuss any points or seek the inclusions of any points”; and whether they will publish any instructions provided to Mr Moore and any insertions added to the legal opinion that he produced.

lord henley: Although initial consideration was given to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) commissioning an opinion jointly from counsel, it was later agreed that the FRC would commission the opinion from Martin Moore QC independently.

Company Accounts

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Henley on 12 February (HL5281)which stated that “the FRC has to form its own view, for the fulfilment of its regulatory functions, of what it considers the law to be. The statement above is an example of the Government and the FRC working together to confirm such an interpretation”, whether the legal opinion by Michael Moore QC, published on 8 October 2013, was dependent upon the Ministerial Statement published by BIS on 3 October 2013, or whether the Ministerial Statement was dependent upon the Moore opinion.

lord henley: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) received a draft copy of the legal opinion by Martin Moore QC on 19 September 2013. The statement from Jo Swinson MP about accounting standards, published on 3 October 2013, was based on discussions held with the Financial Reporting Council and consideration by BIS’s own legal advisers.

Company Accounts

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Henley on 12 February (HL5212)which stated that “The Financial Reporting Council published a statement in June 2014 confirming that the true and fair requirement remains of fundamental importance in the preparation of accounts”, whether they have identified any mistakes in the description of requirements deriving from section 393 of the Companies Act 2006 within the June 2014 FRC statement; and when any such mistakes will be corrected.

lord henley: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has not identified mistakes in the description of requirements deriving from section 393 of the Companies Act 2006 in the June 2014 Financial Reporting Council (FRC) statement. The FRC is an independent regulator.

Company Accounts

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Henley on 12 February (HL5280)which stated that “the Government has stated previously that it does not consider that the Companies Act requires the accounts of the company to state the company’s distributable profits”, what assessment they have made of the Financial Reporting Council guidance on section 837 of the Companies Act 2006 which states that “A disclaimer of opinion on the financial statements as a whole would be material as the auditor would be unable to form an opinion on the amount at which the company’s distributable profits are stated”.

lord henley: That assessment was set out in the reply given to the noble Baroness on 12th February 2018 to Question HL5280: The determination of the distributable profits and of a distribution by a public company must be based on the profits of the company as set out in the company’s accounts. These must be prepared in accordance with the accounting standards, with the overriding requirement that they must give a true and fair view of the company’s finances. However, the Government has stated previously that it does not consider that the Companies Act requires the accounts of the company to state the company’s distributable profits.

Company Accounts

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Henley on 12 February (HL5215), whether any member of the Financial Reporting Councilboard acted as an instructing solicitor when Michael Moore QC was asked to provide a legal opinion; and if so, which board member acted in this capacity; what remuneration they received; and on how many other occasions they had also instructed Mr Moore on behalf of the FRC.

lord henley: As stated in the reply given to the noble Baroness on 12th February 2018 to Question HL5215, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) considers that instructions to Counsel held by it are subject to legal professional privilege. The Government did not ask the FRC to share copies of its instructions to Martin Moore QC.

Financial Reporting Council

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers byLord Henley on 1 February (HL4991 and HL4993), on what basis were members of the Financial Reporting Review Panel omitted from the Financial Reporting Council Register of Interests; which members of the Panel have previously served as Financial Reporting Council employees; which members of the Panel are serving or previous members of accounting firms and, for each such member, which firms they have worked for; which remaining Panel members have had any professional relationships with accounting firms; and, for each such member, (1) what the nature of the relationship was, (2) which accounting firm the relationship was with, and (3) when the relationship occurred.

lord henley: The details of the members of the Financial Reporting Review Panel (FRRP), including biographies, can be found on the Financial Reporting Council’s (FRC) website and are attached. The FRRP is not part of the FRC’s governance structure but rather a panel from which members are drawn to form Review Groups under the Conduct Committee’s Corporate Reporting Review Operating Procedures. Interests in relation to the specific entity whose accounts are being reviewed are checked before appointment to any Review Group.



Financial Reporting Review Council
(PDF Document, 252.76 KB)

Tidal Power: Swansea Bay

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will consider and respond to relevant parts of the (1) Clean Growth Strategy, (2) Industrial Strategy, and (3) Hendry Review, in order that a decision is reached on progressing the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon.

lord henley: In coming to any decision on the proposed Swansea Bay tidal lagoon, the Government is currently assessing the Hendry Review and considering how this technology delivers against its priorities, as set out in the Clean Growth Strategy and the Industrial Strategy. This will ensure that the response to the Hendry Review takes into account the best interests of the UK as a whole and represents value for money for the UK taxpayer and the consumer.

Electricity: Storage

baroness featherstone: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any estimates of the potential cost savings that could be made by securing a greater supply of large scale, long duration electricity storage.

lord henley: In 2016 the Government commissioned a study into the benefits of a smart, more flexible energy system, which found that the UK could save £17- 40 billion across the electricity system to 2050 by deploying flexible technologies. These include demand side response and a range of storage technologies. Long duration storage can provide additional security of supply benefits over those provided by short duration storage, and we have recently amended the Capacity Market rules to reflect this.

Insolvency

baroness burt of solihull: To ask Her Majesty's Government whenthey intend to publish a full response to the feedback they received on their Review of the Corporate Insolvency Frameworkconsultation, published inMay 2016.

baroness burt of solihull: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the potential economic benefits of introducing reforms of the UK’s corporate insolvency framework.

lord henley: In May 2016 the Government published its Review of the Corporate Insolvency Framework consultation. The consultation contained a package of proposals to improve the rescue opportunities for financially-distressed companies in Great Britain. A summary of responses to the consultation was published in September 2016. Following the publication of the summary of responses, the Government has continued to engage with a range of interested parties to further discuss and explore issues raised in responses to the consultation. This further engagement will ensure that any reforms, if necessary, will be fit for purpose and best achieve the Government’s aims of rescuing distressed but viable businesses, therefore preserving both value and jobs. The Government recognises the importance of the insolvency and restructuring regime to the wider UK economy and the important role it plays in, amongst other things, creating strong conditions for growth and access to credit. The consultation stage impact assessment is available from www.gov.uk. A full response to the consultation will be published later this year.



Impact Assessment
(PDF Document, 565.06 KB)

Standards

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the effectiveness of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy's Assisted International Travel Scheme Fund in supporting attendance at both British Standards Institution and International Organization for Standardization committees.

lord henley: The Assisted International Travel Scheme has an important role in facilitating UK business participation in international standard making bodies. The Government continues to keep its effectiveness under review.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Travel

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to maintain the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy's Assisted International Travel Scheme Fund over the course of this Parliament.

lord henley: The Government remains committed to continuing to support UK business’ participation at international standards making bodies and there are no plans to withdraw the Assisted International Travel Scheme Fund.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Travel

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend topublish the total funding allocated to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy's Assisted International Travel Scheme Fund on an annual basis since 2010; and if so, when.

lord henley: The British Standards Institution (BSI) is required to publish an annual report detailing how the annual grant funding it receives from my Department is spent, including the funding for the Assisted International Travel Scheme. The reports are published on the BSI website but the relevant information has been collated here for ease of reference. Departmental funding largely reflects the levels requested by BSI to support agreed participation in international committee meetings.  Funding allocation for Assisted International Travel Scheme2010/11£1,370,0002011/12£1,360,0002012/13£1,280,0002013/14£1,190,0002014/15£1,062,2002015/16£1,017,2002016/17£1,017,2002017/18£798,200

British Standards Institution

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whetherthey intend to discuss with the British Standards Institution (BSI) the need to increase the allowances laid out in the BSI fund form A47 supported by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy's Assisted International Travel Scheme Fund.

lord henley: The Government greatly values the role that UK business and other stakeholders play in the international standards making process. We will discuss with the British Standards Institution the current rules of the Assisted International Travel Scheme to ensure it continues to provide the most efficient way of supporting UK participation in international standards making committees.

Nuclear Safeguards

lord teverson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what new or modified information technology systems are required for the UK nuclear safeguarding authority to be approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency; and whatare the estimatedcosts of developing those systems.

lord henley: To deliver a domestic safeguards regime, generally referred to as a State System of Accountancy for and Control of Nuclear Materials (SSAC), the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) plans to put in place a Safeguards Information Management and Reporting System (SIMRS). The SIMRS will enable the ONR to obtain and process the information necessary to ensure timely submission to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the reports required by any future safeguards agreements with the IAEA. The SIMRS will also enable submission of any specific reports required by supplier states as part of Nuclear Cooperation Agreements (NCAs).ONR has estimated that it will cost £10 million to establish a UK SSAC and SIMRS is included as a part of this overall estimate. An initial tender opportunity in relation to the SIMRS is currently being advertised on the Government Digital Marketplace and responses to that tender will provide more certainty on estimated costs.

Company Accounts

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government for what reason, and by whose advice, the overriding true and fair view requirement of sections 226(2) and 227(3) was taken out of the Companies Act 1985 on the implementation of International Accounting Standards; why this was then reinstated as section 393 of the Companies Act 2006, and by whose advice; when section 393 of the Companies Act 2006come into effect; and for what years that requirement was absent.

lord henley: The Companies Act 1985 (International Accounting Standards and Other Accounting Amendments) Regulations 2004 introduced the amendments to the Companies Act 1985 needed to provide for the application of the International Accounting Standards Regulation. The regulations commenced on 1 January 2005. The Companies Act 2006 introduced section 393, which commenced on 6 April 2008. The 2004 regulations gave effect to the EU’s International Accounting Standards Regulation, which introduced the requirement to prepare accounts using EU adopted International Accounting Standards (IAS). The EU Regulation did not include the requirement that IAS accounts should give a “true and fair” view. The Regulation instead relies upon the fact that the framework supporting the standards requires a “fair presentation” of the company’s finances; that it does not require strict conformity with every technical accounting requirement in the accounting Directives; and that the auditor’s report should state whether the accounts give a true and fair view. The Companies Act 2006 consolidated the requirements of the Companies Act 1985 and the amendments to it and restated and reformed the requirements on the preparation of accounts. In line with the recommendations of the company law review following public consultation, the Companies Act 2006 introduced the “true and fair” requirement for all accounts in section 393. I am unable to provide further explanation of the Government’s justification in 2004 for not having also included an overarching requirement that IAS accounts must give a true and fair view. It is an established convention that Minsters of one administration cannot see the documents of a previous administration. I am therefore unable to provide the information requested by the noble Baroness.

Financial Reporting Council

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 21 February (HL5518), when each director ofthe Financial Reporting Council (FRC) was informed that the FRC was a public body;how they were informed, and how this was documented; whether they will place in the Library of the House letters of appointment for each director at the date of each appointment, rather than the recent general letter of appointment dated 30 January;and whether they will set out how a public body can operate as a public body if the public has not been informed that it is a public body.

lord henley: The terms of appointment for each director of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) mirror the terms of appointment placed into the Library of the House for my answer HL5518. I will ask the FRC to provide the letters of appointment for each director and will place these in the Libraries of the House in due course with appropriate redactions. The classification of the FRC in 2004 and the further considerations by the Office for National Statistics up to 2014 were published. The FRC is included in the whole of Government accounts pursuant to legislation.

Financial Reporting Council

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 20 February (HL5467), whether the Financial Reporting Council changed the wording after my question (HL4627) was tabled on 11 January; and why the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 1 February (HL5095) referred to a position with future effect, not the past and present position.

lord henley: The fact sheet placed into the Libraries of the House in response to question HL5095 used the word “requested” and is dated June 2017. My answer to question HL5095 stated the position as of 1st February 2018.

Company Accounts

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 12 February (HL5280), what were the circumstances that led to the UK voluntarily adopting International Accounting Standards (IAS) for separate, company-only, accounts by invoking the option under Article 5 of the IAS Regulation 2001; and whether, prior to the UK invoking that option, the Financial Reporting Council or Department for Trade and Industry had anticipated the difficulties that this option would create for the use of separate accounts for capital maintenance purposes.

lord henley: The Department for Trade and Industry consulted on the adoption of “International Accounting Standards” in 2002 (URN 2002/1158). The consultation considered whether the UK should exercise the Member State option under Article 5 of the IAS Regulation and, in particular, whether to extend the application of the Regulation to the individual accounts of publicly traded companies. The consultation stated that: “There may be good reasons to exercise this option in order to help internal consistency and comparability of accounts within the same group and assist in preparation of consolidated accounts. There is the additional advantage that the current practice of presenting entity financial statements of the parent with the group accounts as one package could continue. With no extension the practice would probably have to change, as it would be cumbersome and confusing to have to explain two different bases of preparation. We estimate that this would affect around 2700 companies.” The Government considered the responses to the consultation and conducted a full assessment of the costs and benefits of the various approaches to implement the IAS Regulation. Following this consideration the Government concluded that it would implement the option in the regulation, including to extend the application of the Regulation to the individual accounts of publicly traded companies. The Companies Act 1985 (International Accounting Standards and Other Accounting Amendments) Regulations 2004 (SI 2004 / 2947) provided for the application of the International Accounting Standards Regulation. The impact assessment accompanying the regulations sets out the Government’s assessment of the costs and benefits. It concluded that the Governments resulting policy on taking up the option in Article 5 overall had the following benefits: “Parent companies and building societies and subsidiaries in groups will be able to prepare their accounts to one framework of accounting standards. Companies and building societies that do business or seek capital across borders would be able to prepare their accounts to adopted IAS for ease of comparison. Comparability of accounts will assist, shareholders, analysts and other users of accounts.”

Banks: Company Accounts

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) first became aware of any problems with International Accounting Standards for the capital adequacy of particular banks; by what means the FRC found out about such problems; which banks any such problems applied to; and how the FRC responded to any identified problems.

lord henley: The Prudential Regulation Authority is responsible for regulation of the capital adequacy of banks. Prior to 2013 this was the responsibility of the Financial Services Authority. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) was not aware of the contribution that certain features of the International Accounting Standards made to the problem of the capital adequacy of the banks until the problem was a matter of public knowledge. The FRC has engaged with UK Government, Europe, internationally, and with the International Accounting Standards Board since then to develop reforms to the standards, which address the concerns that have been identified.

Company Accounts

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 12 February (HL5214), on which issues does the Financial Reporting Council now accept the position set out by Mr Bompas QC; and in particular whether section 831 of the Companies Act 2006 is one such issue.

lord henley: As stated in the reply given to the noble Baroness on 12th February 2018 to question HL5214, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) sought advice on a range of matters from Martin Moore QC and accepted the advice it received. This includes the advice relating to the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 that determines distributable profits. Section 831 forms part of those requirements. The FRC has not changed its views on those matters.

Paternity Leave

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the main elements of the campaign to encourage more fathers to take shared parental leave; and what is the take-up target.

lord henley: The Shared Parental Leave (SPL) campaign is jointly sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Government Equalities Office. It involves advertising online, on posters in rail stations, bus shelters and on roadsides and in some print publications, driving to a website www.gov.uk/sharetheleave which contains more information and links to guidance on the policy. We are also working with key stakeholders and using PR to communicate our messages to both parents and their employers. The aim of the campaign is to increase awareness of SPL and encourage more parents to discuss this with their partners and employers. We are not able to set a target for take up of shared parental leave as this data is not collected or reported on by employers.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Religious Freedom

the lord bishop of coventry: To ask Her Majesty's Government when their strategy covering freedom of religion or belief will be published.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) freedom of religion or belief work plan is for internal use only. However, the FCO's "toolkit" for use by UK diplomats in promoting and defending the right to FoRB and setting out our policy has been published and can be seen at the gov.uk website.

Religious Freedom

the lord bishop of coventry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the details of the £600,000 worth of projects funded by the Magna Carta Fund in 2016–17 which the Foreign and Commonwealth Office stated have directly led to positive freedom of religion or belief outcomes in 20 countries; and what are those outcomes.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Several projects were funded by the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy in 2016-17, including:Hardwired Inc is running a project which promotes tolerance in secondary school curricula in 50 schools in Iraq, Morocco and Lebanon.Christian Solidarity Worldwide is running a project to support human rights defenders in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. This project raises awareness at the national, regional and international level of the unique challenges human rights defenders campaigning for FoRB face in South Asia and Central Asia. It also raises their security awareness and their advocacy capability.The Salzburg Global Seminar brings together experts and educational practitioners from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East to explore approaches for combating extremism, preventing genocide and promoting tolerance. There is a particular emphasis on Rwanda, South Africa and Cambodia.In Malaysia, we supported a project implemented by Article 19 which aimed to strengthen the ability of Malaysia's national human rights institution to advance the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of religious belief. The project engaged a range of influential religious groups, with the view to widening the space for constructive debate in the public sphere and encouraging greater tolerance in the socio-political discourse.Article 19 run a project in Tunisia and Egypt, to strengthen civil society to build consensus on institutional, legislative and policy change, engage with international human rights mechanisms and prevent intolerance and hate speech.The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, in Tajikistan and Turkmenistan run a project, which contributes to social stability and security in Central Asia through building the capacity of key state and non-state stakeholders to advance FoRB for all.Cumberland Lodge is running a project to promote understanding among overseas students studying in the UK of the right to FoRB. The students will be better sensitised to FoRB issues before returning to their native countries where we hope that they will act as informal advocates for human rights, including FoRB.

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

lord loomba: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answerby Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 25 January (HL4647), what steps they are taking to ensure that widows' rights are a focus ofthe forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are working with member states and the Commonwealth Secretariat to develop an ambitious agenda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). The ministerial discussions will be preceded by four official Commonwealth Forums at the start of summit week. The Women’s Forum is being organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat and will discuss issues around barriers to female empowerment and gender equality.  We anticipate that sessions will also address the unique needs of marginalised groups of women, such as those with disabilities, widows and others. Participants are likely to include individuals and organisations with a particular focus on the rights of all women, including widow’s rights.

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

lord loomba: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answerby Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 25 January (HL4791), what steps they are taking to ensure any discussions on preventing sexual violence in conflict at the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting will also address the specific issues that affect widows and their children.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are working with member states and the Commonwealth Secretariat to develop an ambitious agenda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). The ministerial discussions will be preceded by four official Commonwealth Forums at the start of summit week.  The Women’s Forum is being organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat and will discuss issues around barriers to female empowerment and gender equality. We are working with them to develop a programme that will address violence against women and girls, as well as the unique impact of conflict on women and girls and their key role in peace and security.  We anticipate that sessions will also address the unique needs of marginalised groups of women, such as those with disabilities, widows and others. Participants are likely to include individuals and organisations with a particular focus on the rights of all women, including widow’s rights.

Krishna Maharaj

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of the United States on behalf of Kris Maharaj, a British citizen held in prison in Florida.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government has made numerous representations to the United States Government over a number of years on behalf of Mr Maharaj, most recently when our Ambassador to the US, Sir Kim Darroch wrote to the Attorney General of the United States, Jeff Sessions, on 13 February.

Russia: Electronic Warfare

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Foreign Minister Lavrov of Russia extended an invitation to the UK Foreign Secretary during the bilateral meeting on 22 December 2017 in Moscow for respective state cyber agencies to meet to address areas of concern; and if so,how the Foreign Secretary responded and if he has not responded when he will.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov proposed bilateral interdepartmental consultations on international information security to the Foreign Secretary during his visit in December 2017. The British Government is considering its response. The Russian government claims to support responsible behaviour in cyber space, yet secretly conducts destructive cyber attacks. This is not the relationship we want; this kind of behaviour gets in the way of a sensible dialogue.

NATO: Brussels

lord jopling: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the decision was taken to construct the new NATO headquarters building in Brussels; when any plans for the new headquarters building were approved; what was the anticipated cost of the project at that time; whether those costs have been revised subsequently, and if so, what is the current estimated cost on completion; what the anticipated dates of completion and occupation were at the time of approval; whether those dates have been revised subsequently; and when it is expected that the old NATO headquarters building will be vacated.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: At the 1999 Washington Summit, NATO Heads of State and Government decided to build a new NATO headquarters to meet the requirements of the Alliance in the twenty first century. In 2003, the North Atlantic Council approved a design for the new headquarters with an estimated cost of €1.2 billion. These costs have been revised on a number of occasions; the current estimate is €1.17 billion. Handover of the site was originally planned for August 2015 but was delayed until March 2017 due to technical difficulties. Allies will begin moving to the new headquarters in March 2018 with the site of the current buildings returning to the Belgian Government towards the end of this year.

Turkey: Human Rights

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 6 February (HL5033), whether the shared interests that the UK has with Turkey also include (1) respect for human rights, (2) the independence of the judiciary, and (3) prisons free from torture.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have regular discussions at ministerial level with Turkish counterparts on human rights and rule of law issues. We have also raised concerns about reports of ill-treatment in detention. We will continue to encourage Turkey to respect its human rights obligations, including the right to freedom of expression, and to support the rule of law for all its citizens.

UN Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty Review Conference

lord campbell of pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty's Government what preparations they are making for the 2020 Review Conference of theTreaty on the Non-Proliferationof Nuclear Weapons.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The second of three Preparatory Committees for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference in 2020 will take place in Geneva in April. At that meeting, we will continue to engage with a wide range of states on how we can tackle the challenges that we face on non-proliferation and disarmament, and on how to enable access to the peaceful use of nuclear technology. The UK plays a leading role on disarmament verification and we will continue to press for the entry into force of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, the start of negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty in the Conference on Disarmament and increased transparency and trust between Nuclear Weapons States in order to develop the global conditions in which nuclear armed states feel confident enough to relinquish their weapons. We continue to urge all states that have not yet done so, to join the NPT as non-Nuclear Weapons States.

Turkey: Christianity

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 6 February (HL5034), whether the Christian communities in Turkey referred to include any that have resident UK priests; and how they define "the legal personality of religious beliefs".

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The number of UK priests working overseas is a matter for the Church of England and any other relevant religious bodies. The British Embassy in Ankara and British Consulate-General in Istanbul is in close touch with the Anglican authorities. Regarding the legal personality of religious bodies, the leadership of some religious communities have struggled to obtain a unified legal status and instead operate as conglomerations of separate foundations. This can give rise to issues over property. The British Embassy in Ankara have raised issues over religious property ownership with the Turkish authorities.

EU Countries: British Nationals Abroad

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any UK minister, official, or embassy staff member has been in communication with any Netherlands minister, official, or embassy staff member, either directly or via a representative, regarding the decision by the District Court of Amsterdam (case number: C/13/640244/KG ZA 17-1327) to refer the question of whether UK citizens living in EU countries are entitled to keep their EU citizenship rights after Brexit to the Court of Justice of the European Union; and if so, what was the outcome of those discussions.

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any UK minister, official, or embassy staff member has been in communication with any Netherlands minister, official, or embassy staff member, either directly or via a representative, regarding an interim appeal to the decision by the District Court of Amsterdam (case number: C/13/640244/KG ZA 17-1327) to refer the question of whether UK citizens living in EU countries are entitled to keep their EU citizenship rights after Brexit to the Court of Justice of the European Union; and if so, what was the outcome of those discussions.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: British Government officials have had limited conversations with Dutch counterparts on this case, principally in order to ascertain the factual details.As regards the issue of UK citizens living in the EU after our exit from the European Union, the Government has secured a deal that will safeguard their rights, so that they can continue living their lives broadly as they do now. Our view is that EU treaty provisions state that only citizens of EU Member States are able to hold EU citizenship. Therefore, when the UK ceases to be a member of the European Union, British nationals will no longer hold EU citizenship, unless they hold dual nationality with another EU Member State.

Department of Health and Social Care

Social Services: Finance

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to close the projected £2.3 billion funding gap in adult social care by 2020 as forecast by the Local Government Association.

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on adults receiving social care of the projected £2.3 billion shortfall in funding for adult social care by 2020 as forecast by the Local Government Association.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Budget in March 2017 announced an additional £2 billion to be given to councils over the three years from 2017/18 for social care. More recently the local government finance settlement announced a further £150 million for social care.This additional funding means that Government has given councils access to up to £9.4 billion more dedicated funding for social care over the three years from 2017/18. Overall, councils are able to increase spending on adult social care in real terms in each of the next three years.The Government has set out plans to publish a green paper by summer 2018 presenting its proposals to reform care and support for older people.

Mental Health Services: Finance

lord crisp: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether Clinical Commissioning Groups are allocating the additional investment promised by Her Majesty's Government for mental health to mental health services.

lord crisp: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that 50per cent of Clinical Commissioning Groups in England are planning to reduce the proportion of their budgets spent on mental health support in 2017–18, compared to 2016–17.

lord o'shaughnessy: It is for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to determine the level of spend on specific services. CCGs are required to achieve the Mental Health Investment Standard (MHIS) - i.e. to increase their spend on mental health services in excess or equal to the growth in their programme allocation and to deliver on the operational targets laid out in the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health.NHS England now publishes CCG mental health spend. Over 80% of CCGs met the MHIS in 2016/17 and are forecast to achieve the standard in 2017/18. Assurance processes are in place centrally and regionally to review and to validate reported spend. For 2018/19 all CCGs will be required to meet the MHIS and this will be subject to confirmation by their auditors.

Mental Health Services: Finance

lord crisp: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made in ensuring that mental health has parity of esteem with physical health with regard to funding.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Government set parity of esteem in physical and mental health in law in the Health and Social Care Act 2012. The independent Mental Health Taskforce’s Five Year Forward View for Mental Health report in February 2016 and July 2016 Implementing the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health plan set out detailed recommendations for achieving parity of esteem between physical and mental healthcare. Copies of both reports are attached. The Government’s response to the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health report accepted all the report’s recommendations in January 2017 and created a detailed action plan for taking forward the recommendations, including how we will monitor progress and report transparently. A copy of the Government’s response is attached. The report set out a strategy for change in four key areas to drive forward improvements in mental health: promoting good mental health and helping people lead the lives they want to live, integrating care, creating a seven day National Health Service for mental health and hard wiring mental health across health and social care.NHS England’s Mental Health Investment Standard also requires the local NHS to increase mental health investment by at least the same proportion as overall allocations. This is planned to be met across England as a whole in 2017/18 and 2018/19. For 2018/19 all clinical commissioning groups will be required to meet the Mental Health Investment Standard and this will be subject to confirmation by their auditors.



Mental Health Five Year Forward View
(PDF Document, 2.41 MB)




Implementing the Five Year Forward View
(PDF Document, 2.36 MB)




Govt Response to Five Year Forward View
(PDF Document, 271.86 KB)

Mental Health Services: Finance

lord crisp: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will consider ring-fencing existing levels of funding for mental health services in 2018–19.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Department does not generally ring-fence budgets within the National Health Service. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 gave clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) the autonomy to make decisions about the health services that best meet the health needs of their population.They do this based on evidence of patient needs locally. However, NHS England’s Mental Health Investment Standard requires the local NHS to increase mental health investment by the same proportion as overall allocations. This is planned to be met across England as a whole in 2017/18 and 2018/19. For 2018/19 all CCGs will be required to meet the Mental Health Investment Standard and this will be subject to confirmation by their auditors.

Health Services and Social Services

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy in relation to the integration of health and social care in England.

lord o'shaughnessy: Implemented since 2015/16, the Better Care Fund (BCF) is the first mandatory national programme for integrating health and social care. It requires local authorities and clinical commissioning groups to pool budgets for the purposes of integrated care. The BCF has helped to join up health and care services so people can manage their own health and wellbeing, and live independently in their communities for as long as possible.Many local areas are developing more ambitious integrated health and care provision with a range of models including integrated provider models or devolved accountabilities as well as joint commissioning arrangements. They are doing this as part of the Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships (STPs). STPs bring National Health Service providers, commissioners, local authorities, and other health and care services together to propose how they, at local level, can improve the way that health and care is planned and delivered in a more person-centred and coordinated way.The BCF and STP development have provided a foundation, but we want to do more to deliver joined up care and to encourage integrated approaches which are outlined in the integration and Better Care Fund Policy Framework 2017-19. For those STPs that are ready to go further and faster in delivering the transformation that we want to see, they can evolve to become an Integrated Care System (ICS). ICSs will provide joined up, better coordinated care that can keep people healthier for longer, and out of hospital. To enable this, NHS England and NHS Improvement will offer them far more control and freedom over the total operations of the health system in their area.

Opiates

lord luce: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people in England they estimate are currently addicted to prescription opioids, excluding cancer patients.

lord luce: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in view of the consumption of codeine for pain relief, whether they have any plans to extend the remit of the Public Health England inquiry into prescription drug addiction and dependence to include over the counter painkillers.

lord luce: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether GPs are being advised to carry out regular medication reviews for patients who are prescribed painkillers for chronic pain, in particular patients who are prescribed opioids; and if not, why not.

lord o'shaughnessy: Information on the number of people in England currently addicted to prescription opioids is not collected centrally. The Government is concerned about the impact of long term use of prescription drugs. The Department has commissioned Public Health England (PHE) to undertake an evidence review to better understand the scope of the problem of prescribed drug dependence.The review will bring together the best available evidence on prevalence and prescribing; the nature and likely causes of dependence or discontinuation syndrome among some people who continue to take these medicines; and effective prevention and treatment responses for each condition for which they are prescribed. There are no plans to extend the remit of the PHE evidence review to over the counter painkillers.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published the guideline Controlled drugs: safe use and management in April 2016 which covers systems and processes for using and managing controlled drugs safely in all NHS settings except care homes. The guideline includes recommendations to improve working practices to comply with legislation and aims to reduce the risks associated with controlled drugs, including dependency, overdose and diversion. The NICE guideline provides authoritative guidance that reflects the latest available evidence and will allow healthcare professionals, including general practitioners, to make informed decisions about the prescription and optimal use of medicines which have the potential to cause dependency. A copy of the NICE guideline is attached.The recently-updated national clinical guidelines for drug misuse and dependence have specific guidance about pharmacological management of dependence on benzodiazepines and z-drugs, including prescribing regimens, detoxification, adjunctive therapies and monitoring. A copy of these guidelines, Drugs misuse and dependence: UK guidelines on clinical management is attached.



Controlled drugs: safe use and management
(PDF Document, 166.25 KB)




Drugs misuse and dependence: UK guidelines
(PDF Document, 1.91 MB)

Opiates

lord luce: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of opioids dispensed for pain relief contain a warning on the package that the medication may cause dependence or addiction.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Department does not collect this information centrally. Guidance from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency states that all opioid medicines should contain a warning statement in the patient information leaflet that if taking the medication for long periods there is risk of developing an addiction or dependence. A copy of Additional warning statements for inclusion on the label and/or in the leaflet of certain medicines is attached.It is the responsibility of the dispensing pharmacist to determine whether a specific warning should be placed on the packaging of medication.



MHRA Guidance for labelling
(PDF Document, 392.37 KB)

Mental Illness: Financial Services

lord mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord O'Shaughnessy on 8 February (HL5380), what percentage of mental health patients in England are referred to money advice services.

lord mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord O'Shaughnessy on 8 February (HL5380), whether they have considered trialling the integration of money advice in mental health settings in England.

lord o'shaughnessy: The number of mental health patients referred to money advice services is not collected.There are currently no plans to trial the integration of money advice services in mental health settings. However, the Government recognises the impact that debt may have on mental health and wellbeing and the difficulties that may be experienced by people with mental health problems in managing their debt.We know that mental health services, including Improving Access to Psychological Therapy services, can signpost patients to money and debt advice services as part of their care. General practitioner practices can also signpost patients to money and debt advice services as part of their care and some practices have arrangements in place with local Citizens Advice Bureaux and debt advice services to provide outreach support in primary care.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

lord patel of bradford: To ask Her Majesty's Government how NHS-led Sustainability and Transformation Plans, including accountable care systems of integrated health and social care, will work with local authority procured substance misuse services to ensure vulnerable service users are given the right priority of access to treatment and care.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Government is clear that decisions about service provision are best taken at a local level by local clinicians.Sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs) are five-year collaborations between the National Health Service, local government and other key partners for improving health and wellbeing, developing new models of care, and improving the quality and efficiency of services in local areas across England.The way STPs work in practice will vary according to the needs of different parts of the country and any decision on how they will work with local substance misuse services will be taken at a local level.

Department for International Development

Burma: Rohingya

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking tosupport birth registration activities in relation toRohingya children born in Bangladesh to ensure that their rights are protected while they are refugees and when, or if, they return to Myanmar.

lord bates: The UK supports UNHCR which is conducting a family registration process, including advice and legal support with whatever documents individuals have managed to retain. We continue to lobby the governments of both Burma and Bangladesh to protect and respect the human rights of those who have fled northern Rakhine and to facilitate the conditions for their safe, voluntary and dignified return.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Overseas Aid

lord willoughby de broke: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much foreign aid money was provided to the Democratic Republic of the Congo by the Department for International Development in each year since 2010.

lord bates: Since 2010, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has received a total of £1.03 billion in bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) from the Department for International Development (DFID).The table below shows the amount of DFID bilateral ODA to the DRC broken down by year:Year Amount in Millions2010£161.52011£145.82012£138.22013£155.42014£164.12015£1392016£128.4Total£1,032.4Source: Statistics on International Development 2017

Palestinians: Lebanon

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency funding cuts on Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.

lord bates: The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) provides essential services to over 5 million registered Palestinian refugees across the region. According to UNRWA, there are approximately 460,000 registered in Lebanon. Many displaced Palestinians from Syria living in Lebanon depend heavily on UNRWA assistance. We are keeping in close contact with regional representatives to understand risks to UNRWA’s sustainability and continue to work closely with UNRWA, the United States, and other European Union partners on how to maintain continuity of key services such as education and health for Palestinian refugees across the region, including in Lebanon. UNRWA has publically stated their determination to continue services in all their fields of operations.

Overseas Aid

the earl of sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government which public bodies will be involved in the review of organisations in receipt of UK aid funding; which organisations will be reviewed; and according to what timetable.

lord bates: On 12 February, the Secretary of State for International Development wrote to all UK charities that directly receive UK aid. She asked them to provide her with assurance that the systems and culture that are needed to protect vulnerable people are in place and that they have referred any and all concerns organisations may have on specific cases and individuals to the relevant authorities. DFID officials are now analysing those responses with independent oversight and have shared returns with the Charity Commission. We will share key findings, trends and themes at our Safeguarding Summit on 5 March and will then conduct further in depth analysis as required. DFID has also written to more than 393 international charities which receive UK aid to set out the high standards we expect, and we will undertake a similar exercise with all multilaterals, suppliers and stakeholders.

Department for Education

Overseas Students: EU Nationals

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to clarify the fee status of EU students studying at UK universities from September 2019.

viscount younger of leckie: Future arrangements for EU students starting courses after 2018/19, and who are not settled in the UK or on a pathway to settled status by the specified date, will need to be considered as part of wider discussions about the UK’s relationship with the EU. Applications for courses starting in 2019/20 do not open until September 2018, and we are working to ensure students applying have information well in advance of this date.

Overseas Students: EU Nationals

lord grocott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what has been the total cost of student loans to students from EU 27 countries in each of the last ten years.

viscount younger of leckie: Information showing student loans paid to English higher education providers on behalf of EU domiciled students (UK/EU nationals, resident in the European Economic Area or Switzerland prior to studying) can be found in the Table 1, attached. Statistics covering English loans paid to students on higher education courses are published annually by the Student Loans Company (SLC) in the Statistical First Release ‘Student Support for Higher Education in England’:https://www.slc.co.uk/official-statistics/full-catalogue-of-official-statistics/student-support-for-higher-education-in-england.aspx.



Student loans paid to HE providers, EU domiciled 
(Word Document, 15.35 KB)

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Temporary Accommodation: Children

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they expect the number of children in hostels and other temporary accommodation in England to rise; and whatsteps they are taking to reduce this number.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: We are implementing the Homelessness Reduction Act, which commences in April 2018. The Act significantly reforms England’s homelessness legislation, ensuring that more people get the help they need earlier to prevent them from becoming homeless in the first place.The law is clear that households with dependent children should only be accommodated in B&B in an emergency and then for no longer than 6 weeks.Our new Homelessness Advice and Support Team, drawn from local authorities and the homelessness sector, are providing targeted challenge and support to help Councils improve their practice and performance – including the use of B&B accommodation for families.The Government remains committed to combating homelessness and rough sleeping. To achieve this, we have set up a Rough Sleeping and Homelessness Reduction Taskforce that will focus on prevention and affordable housing. We have allocated over £1 billion over the course of the spending review to tackle and reduce homelessness. This includes £315 million Homelessness Prevention funding and a Flexible Homelessness Support Grant which local authorities can use more strategically to prevent homelessness from happening in the first place. This amounts to £402 million over the two years from 2017/18, with further funding to be announced for 2019/20.

Sleeping Rough: City of Westminster

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Westminster City Council about deaths and hospital admissions of homeless people sleeping rough in the borough.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Ministers at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government meet with representatives of local authorities, voluntary and charity sector organisations, policy experts and other partners on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues including homelessness and rough sleeping.The Government publishes a list of all ministerial meetings with external bodies on departmental business on a quarterly basis. This is available (attached) at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/668182/Ministerial_meetings_Jul_to_Sep_2017.csv/previewOur new Homelessness Advice and Support Team, drawn from local authorities and the homelessness sector, is providing support to local authorities to help them address their homelessness challenges. They have visited a significant number of local authorities across England, including Westminster.



List of all Ministerial meetings
(Excel SpreadSheet, 35.5 KB)

Sleeping Rough

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government on average, each night, how many homeless people in England sleep outside; and whether they expect that number to increase in 2018, compared to 2017.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The annual autumn rough sleeping count is a single night snapshot of the number of people sleeping rough in local authority areas.The latest statistics can be found (attached) at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/667302/Statutory_Homelessness_and_Prevention_and_Relief_Statistical_Release_Jul_to_Sep_2017.pdfWe do not collect data on the number of people sleeping rough each night of the year.This Government is committed to preventing and reducing homelessness in England. No one should have to sleep rough. That is why we have committed to halving rough sleeping by 2022 and eliminating it altogether by 2027.



Homelessness and Prevention and Relief 
(PDF Document, 2.38 MB)

Ministry of Defence

Joint Exercises

lord temple-morris: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to participate in international defence exercises with allies during 2018–19; and at what scale.

earl howe: The UK Armed Forces routinely participate in international defence exercises with allies and partners across the globe. In 2018 the UK is due to take part in more than 25 major international exercises and a similar number are planned for 2019. International defence exercises vary significantly in scale, complexity and the number of contributing nations, but all are focused upon developing interoperability with our allies and partners. At the cornerstone of our exercise programme are NATO, the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) Partner Nations and the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF) alliance between the UK and France. Discrete bilateral defence activity with nations outside of these alliances also makes up part of the international programme and supports wider Defence Engagement. Major NATO exercise activity in 2018 and 2019 centres on development of the NATO Response Force and the ability of contributing nations to respond quickly to an international crisis. Exercises will take place in the US and across Europe in Land, Maritime and Air domains. Most notably, Exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE in November 2018 will test the ability of NATO to respond to an Article V situation in Scandinavia, involving multinational forces totalling 35,000 personnel. The UK will contribute a maritime task group, an air component and a brigade sized land force. An annual Baltic Operations Exercise focuses on the ability of NATO forces to work collectively in the protection of nations across the Baltic region. It routinely involves over 5,000 personnel from 17 nations and includes participation by up to 40 warships and submarines and over 60 aircraft. The JEF, for which the UK is the framework nation, also exercises throughout the year to develop the ability of partner nations to respond rapidly and work together. Exercise JOINT WARRIOR is the annual major exercise which involves more than 10,000 personnel from seven partner nations, the next of which is scheduled for April 2018. In addition, the JEF Maritime component and amphibious task group also conduct an annual major exercise, which in autumn 2018 will take place in the North and Baltic Seas. The UK and French CJEF will conduct five major exercises during 2018-19. These will include the testing and live fire exercising of a Combined Joint Task Force involving components from the maritime, land and air environments. In addition, frequent command planning exercises are scheduled to develop and enhance working practices within Combined Operational Headquarters. In addition to the major defence international partnerships, significant bilateral exercise activity is also planned over this period. Joint training with the US makes up a significant proportion of the exercise programme and includes aircraft carrier, fighter jet and Divisional level land forces exercises. The Ministry of Defence’s largest exercise of 2018 will be Exercise SAIF SAREEA in Oman, involving more than 6,000 UK personnel, working alongside the Omani Armed Forces, and will train the UK’s high readiness forces in the full scope of defence activities. UK forces will include an Army Brigade, an RAF Air Wing with Typhoon fighter jets and support transport aircraft and a Maritime Task Group made up of a Royal Marines unit and Royal Navy amphibious warships.

Type 31 Frigates

lord campbell of pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they will provide to manufacturersfor the export ofType 31e frigates.

earl howe: Exports and prosperity are at the heart of the National Shipbuilding Strategy, published in September 2017, and are central to the procurement strategy for the Type 31e Frigate. The Department for International Trade's Defence and Security Organisation will lead Government support to Type 31e export campaigns. We will work closely with them and other Departments to provide the necessary Government support to Type 31e export campaigns. The support provided will vary depending on the nature of each individual campaign.

Type 45 Destroyers

lord campbell of pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the programme for returning theUK's Type 45 destroyers to full capability; and when they anticipatethis will be achieved.

earl howe: Improvements to the resilience of the Type 45 Destroyers' power and propulsion system will be delivered through the Power Improvement Project, which involves fitting additional diesel generators to provide the ships with increased electrical generation capacity. The programme is the subject of an ongoing competitive procurement and it would not be appropriate to release details of the programme schedule until the competitive process has completed and the contract has been agreed. The Type 45 Destroyers continue to be deployed on operations and contribute to the defence of the UK and our international partners.

Iraq Fatality Investigations

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to review the future of the Iraq Fatality Investigations.

earl howe: In 2013 the High Court ordered the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to establish a non-criminal process of "quasi-inquests" (which we have designated Iraq Fatality Investigations (IFI)) in appropriate cases to comply fully with the investigative obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights, which include procedural requirements (to involve the victim's family, to ensure public accountability, and to identify systemic issues) that cannot always be achieved by a criminal investigation alone. The MOD understands the strain any investigation places upon its personnel, the vast majority of whom conducted themselves professionally in the most difficult circumstances, and is committed to providing them with proper pastoral and legal support. IFI are essentially inquests, they are not criminal investigations and can only take place when a decision has been taken not to prosecute. They take place to provide the families of deceased Iraqi civilians with answers about the circumstances of their deaths.It is important that allegations of wrongdoing are investigated to allay public concerns, if unjustified, or to expose discreditable conduct. This process remains appropriate and legally necessary.

Israeli Defence Force: Vehicles

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they suppliedspare parts for Land Rover vehicles to the Israeli Defence Force during 2017; and if so, what parts they supplied.

earl howe: No spare parts for Land Rover vehicles were supplied to the Israeli Defence Force during 2017.

Department for Work and Pensions

Farms: Accidents

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reduce the number of farm accidents.

baroness buscombe: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has responsibility for the regulation of health and safety standards on Great Britain’s farms. In September 2017 HSE published the document “Sector Plan for Health and Safety: Agriculture” (attached) that details the actions it will take to tackle farm accidents and ill health. I have also attached the draft Sector Intervention Strategy for agriculture which has been shared with stakeholders for public consultation, setting out the sector plan in more detail. It is due to be published this Spring.



Sector Plan for Health and Safety: Agriculture
(PDF Document, 137.62 KB)




Draft Sector Intervention Strategy 
(PDF Document, 117.91 KB)

Home Office

Cybercrime

lord lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the comprehensiveness of the data gathered by the police about online fraud and attempted online fraud.

baroness williams of trafford: To fully understand the threat posed by fraud, this Government recognises the importance of having data which sets out the scale and nature of this type of criminality to then build an effective response. Action Fraud, which is overseen by City of London Police, is the national reporting centre for all frauds and cyber crimes, this is linked with the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB), also overseen by CoLP. (The NFIB analyses fraud data to identify links between seemingly unconnected crimes and assess information that may support investigation).These capabilities enable policing to gather comprehensive data from the public, through crime and information reports, and wider industry partners, including the banking and retail sectors, to then build a national fraud intelligence picture. The NFIB also collects policing outcome data from all forces to understand impact. To improve data collection, City of London Police is implementing a new I.T system within Action Fraud and NFIB, due to go-live in Spring 2018, which will enhance reporting routes and analytical capability. This will further improve our collective understanding of the fraud threat.

Immigration: EU Nationals

lord radice: To ask Her Majesty's Government what istheir estimate of the decrease in net EU migration to the UK as a result of Brexit, if any.

baroness williams of trafford: As at 22 February 2018, net EU migration stood at 90,000 for the year ending September 2017. The comparable figure for the year ending June 2016 is 189,000.Net migration statistics are published by the office for National Statistics and can be found at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/internationalmigration

Borders: Northern Ireland

lord campbell of pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty's Government what researchthey have commissioned on the creation of an electronic border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

baroness williams of trafford: The UK is committed to avoiding a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, including any physical infrastructure or related checks and controls, as set out in the December Joint Report.It is our priority to deliver a practical solution that recognises the unique social, political, and economic circumstances of Northern Ireland.

Immigrants: Detainees

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what enquiries they have made into reports that immigration detainees whose coach caught fire as it took them to a deportation flight were handcuffed by escort staff before they were permitted to disembark.

baroness williams of trafford: An investigation is underway into the causes of the incident involving a Home Office vehicle transporting immigration detainees on 14th February. All the detainees on board were safely evacuated from the vehicle before being placed in handcuffs.The safety and welfare of all those in our care is of the utmost importance and we will accept nothing but the highest standards from companies employed to provide detention and escorting services on our behalf.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Electronic Warfare

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what advicethey have given to UK institutions and companies to minimise their being a victim of cyber-attacks in the event of cyber warfare.

lord ashton of hyde: The goal of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is to help make the UK the safest place to live and do business online. To that end, the NCSC provides expert guidance for all organisations in the UK, large and small, including businesses and industry, government departments, the critical national infrastructure, universities and charities. Following this advice will enable these institutions and companies to put measures in place to help protect themselves from cyber attacks, and help to protect the UK’s economic prosperity and reputation.

European Network and Information Security Agency

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, following the speech of the Prime Minister at the Security Conference in Munich on 17 February, they plan to cooperate with the EU Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA) after Brexit; and if so, what form any such cooperation would take; and whether they consider that ENISA's programme of implementation of EU policy and laws falls under the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

lord ashton of hyde: Membership of the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) is one of the ways in which the UK discusses cyber security policy and shares expertise with European partners. We remain absolutely committed to ensuring European security and developing a deep and special partnership with a strong, secure and successful European Union that covers both economic and security cooperation. A close working relationship on foreign and security policy is unconditional. We are proud of the UK’s capability and record on cyber security and will continue to support our European partners in this area. In leaving the European Union, we will bring about an end to the direct jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in the UK. There are a number of existing precedents where the EU has reached agreements with third countries which provide for a close cooperative relationship, without the CJEU having direct jurisdiction over those countries. Our aim is to secure a relationship that provides for practical operational cooperation; facilitates data driven law enforcement; and allows multilateral cooperation through EU agencies. We believe that the UK and the EU should work together to design new, dynamic arrangements as part of our future partnership that support this. The details of our future relationship are a matter for negotiations.